On Monday, news broke that veteran Nigerian actor Hassan Taiwo, popularly known as Ogogo, has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, making him the latest celebrity to be afflicted by the deadly and malignant disease. Ogogo is a household name in the Nigerian movie industry. He not only brings laughter and entertainment to the homes of many Nigerians, particularly those of Yoruba extraction, with his enviably energetic, passionate and incredible acting; he was also seen as an exemplary character who exudes discipline, honour and credibility and uses his position as a top actor to advance positive social changes and reforms.
The news of his ailments, which was first revealed by one of his daughters, has left many, who grew up watching the veteran interpret his role with grace, candour, discipline and utmost professionalism in the many classic and evergreen movies he starred in, in utter disbelief. The disclosure of his ailment has triggered an outpouring of emotions and prayers, with many influential Nigerians offering to do what it takes to help the veteran thespian. The fact that he is the latest actor to find himself in the grip of the dreadful and virulent disease made the news all the more jarring and devastating. Alexx Ekubo died of Advanced metastatic kidney cancer early this year. Temitope Osoba died of breast cancer last month while Oby Kechere (Ms Koi Koi) had a prolonged battle with kidney cancer before succumbing to it.
In a now-viral video of one of his daughters appealing to Nigerians to come to their aid, she said their problem is not money, and what they need is a place where they can get quality treatment and a cure for their father. Ogogo’s second daughter revealed that efforts have been made to fly him abroad for treatment, but doctors advised against it as he is too frail to withstand the stress and strain of long air travel.
What the doctors are saying
Amid the passionate and deep expression of genuine compassion, care, concern and love by the public for the actor, doctors have weighed in to give dispassionate and objective analysis of his condition and the chances of survival. While the consensus among the doctors is that the cancer is already at an advanced stage as it has spread to other parts of the body, which makes it incurable, they noted that it can be managed with timely, proper and world-class treatment.
While speaking on the critical condition of the actor and claims by the family that doctors are unwilling to treat him, Dr Sina warned the family not to frame prudent and pragmatic medical decisions as a callous and inconsiderate act.
He wrote: “They don’t want to treat my father again” This is a dangerous statement and can set the tide against the medical team treating her Dad. When patients have stage 4 cancer and chemo and/or other therapies have been explored.
There is a form of care called
PALLIATIVE CARE, which is end-of-life care and care for terminal diseases because at the point of the disease you cannot treat it, but you can manage associated symptoms and give the person a good quality of life before death.
Saying they don’t want to treat my father makes it look like they are intentionally rejecting him, and in the context of recent happenings in the health sector, it can trigger an insurrection and put a bad label on health care workers.
2 “IF YOU HAVE HERBS that treat cancer”
Don’t do this. There are no herbs that will treat stage 4 cancer. These concoctions will end up damaging more organs and causing more complications. You’d end up wasting money and causing more problems.
3. People need to understand that Stage 4 cancer means the cancer has left the primary organ and gone to other sites.
Your Doctor knows what’s best, and it is good that you work hand in hand with the team to give the best productivity. I do hope Ogogo’s daughter and family see this. Wishing the family all the best throughout the trying times.
Doctor Olufunmilayo stated emphatically that the chances of survival are quite slim when an X user asked him if the actor can survive the ailment
He wrote: Very slim. The very phrase “stage 4 cancer” means the cancer has spread far beyond the primary organ to distant body regions like the liver, lungs, spine and brain. Stage 4 cancer is the most advanced stage of cancer, and in the vast majority of cases, the person will die soon.
Doki of Lagos wrote:
STAGE 4 CANCER DOES NOT MEAN DEATH
STAGE 4 DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY MEAN DEATH, EVEN WHEN IT SPEAKS SO MUCH ABOUT PALLIATIVE CARE
Stage 4 cancer generally means that the cancer has spread from its primary site to another part of the body. In many cancers, metastatic disease is considered difficult to cure, but difficult to cure does not mean impossible to treat, and it certainly does not mean that death is imminent.
People are living with and surviving Stage 4 cancers, sometimes for many years, depending on the cancer type, molecular characteristics, response to treatment, overall health and access to appropriate care.
Treatment can include:
• Chemotherapy
• Immunotherapy
• Targeted therapy
• Hormonal therapy
• Radiotherapy
• Surgery in selected circumstances
• Clinical trials
• Palliative and supportive care
• And, where appropriate, EVIDENCE-BASED INTEGRATIVE ONCOLOGY approaches alongside conventional cancer treatment
BUT THE DETAILS MATTER.
If the family has been told that chemotherapy cannot proceed, I would want to understand why.
Is it because of his general health or frailty?
Is his blood count, liver, kidney or heart function preventing treatment?
Has the cancer become resistant to a particular treatment?
Would chemotherapy potentially cause more harm than benefit at this stage?
Are there other systemic treatments that may be appropriate for his particular cancer?
Or are there limitations regarding access to certain treatments?
These are very different circumstances and deserve careful medical assessment.
WHERE CAN INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE HELP?
This is where I believe evidence-based Integrative Oncology can have an important role — not as a replacement for the oncologist, but as an additional layer of care.
Integrative oncology can involve carefully selected, evidence-informed interventions aimed at supporting the patient alongside conventional treatment.
Depending on the individual case, this may include:
• Fighting Cancer Cells Naturally and also with Immunotherapy
– Nutritional assessment and appropriate nutritional support
• Exercise and physical rehabilitation where medically safe
• Sleep and stress management
• Psychological and emotional support
• Pain and symptom management
• Management of treatment-related side effects
• Selected complementary interventions with evidence for particular symptoms or quality-of-life outcomes
• Reviewing potential drug–supplement interactions
• Supporting overall wellbeing during cancer treatment
• Identifying appropriate clinical trials or additional specialist opinions
The important principle is integration — not substitution.
I would never encourage a cancer patient to abandon chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery or other proven oncology treatments in favour of an unproven remedy.
And I cannot disregard the fact that evidence-based interventions and supportive approaches are being used by cancer patients around the world, with a growing body of research exploring their appropriate role in cancer care.
I have also personally worked with cancer patients, including one patient currently in South Africa whom I have been supporting, and I have seen the importance of taking an individual’s case seriously rather than assuming that every Stage 4 diagnosis has exactly the same pathway.
